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Alfriston

Coordinates:50°48′29″N0°09′18″E/ 50.808°N 0.155°E/50.808; 0.155
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This article is about the village in England. For the suburb of Papakura, seeAlfriston, New Zealand.

Alfriston
Village
Alfristonvillage sign
Alfriston is located in East Sussex
Alfriston
Alfriston
Location withinEast Sussex
Area9.36 km2(3.61 sq mi)[1]
Population829 (2011)[2]
•Density214.2/sq mi (82.7/km2)
OS grid referenceTQ519030
•London49 miles (79 km)NNW
Civil parish
  • Alfriston
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townPOLEGATE
Postcode districtBN26
Dialling code01323
PoliceSussex
FireEast Sussex
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament
Websitewww.alfriston-village.co.uk
List of places
UK
England
East Sussex
50°48′29″N0°09′18″E/ 50.808°N 0.155°E/50.808; 0.155

Alfristonis a village andcivil parishin theEast Sussexdistrict ofWealden,England. The village lies in the valley of theRiver Cuckmere,about four miles (6 km) north-east ofSeafordand south of the mainA27 trunk roadand part of the large area of Polegate. The parish had a population of 829 at the 2011 census.[2]

History

[edit]
The Alfristonlock-up

There is strong evidence of ancient occupation of the area, since severalNeolithiclongbarrowshave been discovered on the surroundingDowns;among them, to the west is the fairly well preserved Long Burgh.[3]

The place-name 'Alfriston' is first attested in theDomesday Bookof 1086, where it appears asAlvricestone.It appears asAlfrichestunain a French document circa 1150. The name means 'Ælfric's town or settlement'.[4]

One building of historical importance is the Star Inn. Originally a religious hostel built in 1345 and used to accommodate monks and pilgrims en route fromBattle Abbeyto theshrineofSt Richard,patron saint of Sussex, atChichester Cathedral,it became an inn in the 16th century.[5]Wooden figures grace the upper part of the building, whilst in the front is a one-time ship'sfigureheadrepresenting a red lion. The latter is connected with the Alfristonsmugglinggang who used the inn as a base; their leader wastransportedto Australia in 1830. Another important historical building isDean's Place Hotelwhich was built in the 17th century or earlier.[6]

Governance

[edit]

Anelectoral wardin the same name exists. This ward stretches north toChalvington with Ripeand has a total population taken at the 2011 census of 2,321.[7]

Churches

[edit]
Main articles:List of current places of worship in WealdenandList of former places of worship in Wealden
St Andrew's Church

TheAlfriston parish church,dedicated to St Andrew, has Saxon origins, although most of the building dates from the 14th century. It is known, because of its size, as the Cathedral of the South Downs. It sits on a small, flint-walled mound in the middle of "the Tye" (the local village green), overlooking the River Cuckmere, and is surrounded by the flowered graveyard in which the Nobel laureateSir Peter Medawarand the Labour politicianDenis Healeyare buried. It is built in the form of a cross. Today it is part of the united benefice which includes St Michael's Church at Litlington and All Saints Church atWest Dean.Alfriston's formerUnited Reformed Churchis included in that grouping.[8]

The village of Alfriston

[edit]
Alfriston clergy house

The east side of the village lies by theRiver Cuckmereand is home to thevillage green,which is called the Tye. In the centre of the Tye is St. Andrew's Church. The 14th-centuryAlfriston Clergy Houseclose by was originally a farmhouse but later became the vicarage. It is now maintained by theNational Trust.It was the very first property bought by the Trust, in 1896, and it is a classic example of aWealden hall housewith thatched roof andtimber-framedwalls. It also has a tranquil garden and orchard on the banks of the Cuckmere. Also on the Tye is theGeorgianUnitarianChapel. The wooden sign for the village at the entrance to the Tye was carved by a previous vicar of the village who also repaired the Star Inn's red lion. The centre of the village is Market Square which contains a 15th-centurymarket cross.

The village contains four pubs, the Star Inn, the Smugglers' Inn, the George Inn and the Six Bells. A Channel 5 archaeology programme,Pub Dig,revealed evidence of long occupation of the site of the Smugglers' Inn, including signs of smuggling, animal butchery and neolithic activity at the rear of the building.[9]In 2021, the Star Inn featured in another Channel 5 programme, calledAlex Polizzi: My Hotel Nightmare,which documented the renovation of the 15th century, 37-bedroom coaching inn.[10][11][12][13]

  • Star Inn
    Star Inn
  • George Inn
    George Inn
  • Smugglers Inn
    Smugglers Inn

TheSouth Downs Waycrosses the river in Alfriston, and then continues up onto theDowns.

During the week leading up to the August bank holiday weekend, there is the Alfriston Festival, which ends with a Grand Fair on the Tye, with the proceeds going to several local national charities. It is attended by a large number of people from many miles around.[14]In December there is also an Alfriston Christmas Weekend.[15]The village also has its own clay pigeon shooting club.[16]The Alfriston Cricket Club has won the Cuckmere Valley League on nine occasions, with the earliest being 1920 and the most recent 2003.[17]

The arts and Alfriston

[edit]

In 1931Eleanor Farjeonwrote the popular hymn "Morning Has Broken"in Alfriston; the hymn is supposedly about the beauty she saw around her in this village.[18]The song was later recorded byCat Stevensin the 1970s, reaching a wider audience.

The 1946 novelUneasy Termsby crime and thriller writerPeter Cheyneyis set mainly in and around Alfriston. The private detectiveSlim Callaghanstays in one of the pubs in Alfriston, which in the novel is called 'The Two Friars', whilst solving a murder at the nearby house 'Dark Spinney', home of the Alardyse family. The author describes the village thus: "Callaghan walked slowly through the open space at the end of Alfriston High Street. The afternoon sun shone on the old houses, and the tree in the middle of the little square threw a pleasant shadow." Several other local places are mentioned in the novel, among themBrighton,Eastbourne,Herstmonceux,Pevensey Bay,RottingdeanandPolegate.The book was made into a film in 1948, starringMoira ListerandMichael Rennie.Cheyney also mentions Alfriston in several other of his novels, includingDance without Music(1947).

Another well-known thriller-writer,Victor Canning,sets the prologue to his 1956 novelThe Hidden Face(USBurden of Proof) in Alfriston. The hero Peter Barlow comes to the village to confront a resident, James Gurney Hansford, who has cheated his father and driven him to suicide. They fight. Later Hansford is murdered and Barlow wrongly convicted of the crime.

The 1964 filmThe Chalk Gardenstarring SirJohn Mills,Hayley MillsandDeborah Kerrwas filmed in and around the village.[19]

Peter Sellers' 1962 filmWaltz of the Toreadorswas also filmed here.[20]

A panoramic view of the village of Alfriston from the South Downs Way bridleway

Notable people

[edit]
  • DrJune Goodfield(1927–) historian, scientist and writer[citation needed]
  • Denis Healey,Baron Healey, CH, MBE, PC, FRSL (1917–2015 in Alfriston) a British Labour Party politician, Secretary of State for Defence 1964–1970, Chancellor of the Exchequer 1974–1979 and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 1980–1983[21]
  • Edna Healey(1918 – 2010) author, lecturer and filmmaker. Wife of Denis.[21]
  • Albert Hilton(1862 in Alfriston – 1935) an English cricketer active from 1891 to 1895 who played for Sussex, appearing in 29 first-class matches[citation needed]
  • Peter Medawar(1915–1987) and his wife are buried in Alfriston[21]
  • Elgar Pagden(1820–1880), first-class cricketer[22]
  • Jacqueline Wilson(1945– ) children's author of theTracy Beakerfranchise, lives in Alfriston[23]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"East Sussex in Figures".East Sussex County Council.Retrieved26 April2008.
  2. ^ab"Civil Parish population 2011".Neighbourhood Statistics.Office for National Statistics. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved8 October2015.
  3. ^Historic England."Long Burgh long barrow, Alfriston (1012923)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved6 June2020.
  4. ^Eilert Ekwall,The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names,p.6.
  5. ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 6 October 2011.Retrieved26 October2008.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^The Village Reference:Alfriston:Smuggling and GhostsArchived12 January 2006 at theWayback Machine
  7. ^"Ward population 2011".Retrieved8 October2015.
  8. ^Alfriston churchesArchived11 February 2008 at theWayback Machine
  9. ^"Rory McGrath's Pub Dig".Channel 5.Retrieved29 March2020.
  10. ^"Alex Polizzi: My Hotel Nightmare - Channel 5".
  11. ^"Alex Polizzi's hotel nightmare as she refurbishes £2 million Alfriston inn".
  12. ^""I just feel battered" - Alex Polizzi's rush against time to reopen in My Hotel Nightmare ".
  13. ^"The Alfriston hotel owned by Alex Polizzi starring on Hotel Inspector".12 August 2021.
  14. ^"Alfriston Summer Festival".Alfriston Village website.Retrieved29 March2020.
  15. ^"Recent Events".Archived fromthe originalon 11 February 2009.Retrieved21 February2009.
  16. ^"Services and Amenities".Archived fromthe originalon 8 February 2009.Retrieved21 February2009.
  17. ^"Club Titles".Archived fromthe originalon 19 July 2011.Retrieved21 February2009.
  18. ^says, Linda searles (25 October 2021).""Morning has broken"".Sussex Rambles.Retrieved18 December2022.
  19. ^Briffett, Anne (February 2013). "The Chalk Garden".The Deans Magazine(February 2013).
  20. ^"Waltz of the Toreadors".Sussex Screen.Retrieved18 December2022.
  21. ^abc"Notable Burials at St. Andrew's Church Alfriston"(PDF).cuckmerechurches.org.uk.Retrieved20 February2021.
  22. ^"Elgar Pagden".Wisden.Retrieved18 December2022.
  23. ^Donnelly, Luke (14 February 2021)."Alfriston: The charming part of East Sussex rated one of England's 'most beautiful villages'".sussexlive.co.uk.Retrieved20 February2021.
[edit]
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